Resurgent Republic

Voters in Battleground States Overwhelmingly Oppose Scheduled Tax Increases and Lame Duck Session of Congress

Voters in the dozen states with 2010 U.S. Senate races designated as "toss ups" by the Cook Political Report overwhelmingly oppose tax increases scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2011, and do not believe Members of Congress should address important legislation in a lame duck session of Congress after the November elections. These dozen states--Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington--are very likely to determine which party controls the U.S. Senate in 2011.

Independents Support Conservative Policies in Health Care, Energy, and Fiscal Issues

With Independent voters siding overwhelmingly with Republican voters again in our latest survey, conservative and market-oriented policies now consistently trump the liberal and government-oriented policies pursued by President Obama and the Democrats in Congress.  In three key policy areas – health care, energy, and fiscal issues – conservative policies are more popular than liberal ones, according to Resurgent Republic's analysis.

Independents and Tea Partiers Express Similar Concerns over Federal Spending and Debt

Nearly four months out from the mid-term elections, Independent voters remain anxious about the direction of the country. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has contributed significantly to their negative outlook and raised questions about President Obama’s ability to lead during a future crisis. Independents and Tea Party voters alike share similar concerns over “reckless” and “out-of-control” Federal spending and debt and believe the economic stimulus package and the new health care reform law will add to the deficit.

As a result, they generally favor a greater check and balance on the Democratic agenda (even those who disapprove of Republicans). The growth disparity between the public and private sectors reinforces their opinion that the Federal Government has the wrong priorities and is not focused on creating lasting private sector growth. And similar to our focus group findings last August, these Independents remain apprehensive of the Federal Government playing an ever-expanding role in our economy. You can read the full report here.

Independents Who Supported Obama Upset Over Direction of Country

An extensive round of focus groups (five pairs) during August with Independents who voted for President Obama last November, but who are undecided on the congressional generic ballot, provided revealing insights about voters’ concerns over the economy, government spending, mounting Federal debt and government intervention into the private sector.